


Belonging

by Wallwalker



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Community: fic_promptly, F/M, Ficlet, Fluff, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-04
Updated: 2011-12-04
Packaged: 2017-10-26 20:51:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/287721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wallwalker/pseuds/Wallwalker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Don't ever think that you don't belong here."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Belonging

Ashley sat very still at the mess table, Shepard's words still ringing in her ears.

Maybe not being able to keep her mouth shut was one of her problems. Maybe she should have known better than to speak up. But damn it, she wasn't going to sit around and stay quiet when she saw something going on that could end up being a threat to all of their security. Her grandfather hadn't gone through what he'd gone through to have a krogan and a turian running around on the most advanced ship the Alliance had ever created so that they could steal all of their secrets.

Obviously, Commander Shepard didn't agree with her risk assessment. And there wasn't a damn thing Ashley could do to change his mind; she knew that look. As soon as she'd brought up her concerns, his usually friendly face had just... gone cold. And Ashley couldn't understand why what she'd said had deserved a reaction like that. As if she didn't have enough reason to feel like she didn't fit in....

She was so busy brooding, she didn't even notice Alenko slipping in beside her. "How're you holding up?" he asked, startling her than she would've liked to admit.

She made a quiet, noncommittal grunt. "You haven't already heard?" she asked wryly. The rumor mill on that ship was ridiculous; even though it had just happened, she was sure that someone else was already talking about it.

"I'd rather hear it from you, if that's all right." Kaidan's smile was disarming. He was kind of cute, in a clean-cut sort of way. Not that Ashley should be thinking about that kind of thing...

She sighed, lowering her voice to almost nothing. "Fine. Commander Shepard just chewed me out over suggesting that we shouldn't be giving aliens the run of the ship. I wouldn't have minded if he'd just disagreed with me, but I didn't expect him to be so angry about it."

"Ah." Kaidan nodded thoughtfully. "Sounds like you hit one of his pet peeves. Not that he likes it when we call it that, but you might as well call it what it is," he added with an impish grin.

"What? Not trusting aliens?"

Kaidan shrugged. "Shepard was going to be an ambassador. He'd wanted to be one for years, and if he hadn't tested so high for biotic ability, he'd probably be working at the embassy. But the military gave him a better offer. We've talked about it before - he's a strong believer in not judging people until they've done something to deserve it."

"But it might be too late by then," she argued.

"I said that once. He didn't agree." He shook his head. "We don't agree on everything, but Shepard's a good man. Don't worry. This doesn't mean he doesn't trust you, or anything."

"I hope that's true." She stared down at her hands. "It just reminded me that I really don't belong on this ship, you know? Maybe I'm just a stupid grunt who doesn't know anything -"

"Hey," Kaidan interrupted her. "Don't say that. Don't ever think you don't belong here. I'm... we're all glad to have you aboard."

She looked up, amused at the odd stutter, and saw that Kaidan's face was turning ever-so-slightly red. "Thanks," she said, smiling, wondering if she was starting to flush herself. Oh, no, she told herself. Bad idea, Ash. Really bad idea.

Still. Wouldn't be the first time she'd had a bad idea turn out to be a good one.

"Hey," she said, and felt her smile soften a bit. "When we get back to the Citadel, how about I buy you a drink?"

"Heh. Yeah." Kaidan nodded, smiling a little more himself. "I think... I think I'd like that."

"Good. It's a date."


End file.
